Paul the
apostle continued to give his instruction to the families within the
church of Ephesus as he told the “wives” to “submit
to” their “own husbands, as unto the Lord”,
“husbands” to “love” their “wives even as
Christ loved the church” and “children” to “obey”
their “parents in the Lord, for this is right”. He also
shared how “children” were to “honor” their
“mother and father” which provided the promise “that
it may be well” with them, and that they “may live long on
the earth”. In chapter six and verse four of his letter, Paul
turned his attention toward the “fathers” where we read:
And, you
fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:
but bring
them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
The verse begins, “And,
you fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:” Paul
began with the words, “And, you
fathers”
which refers to “the male generator or nearest ancestor and
originator and transmitter of anything”, “provoke
not” which
is the Greek word “parorgizō”
and
means
“do not rouse to wrath, exasperate and anger” “your
children”
who are “the offspring whether sons or daughters” “to
wrath”
which again is the Greek word “parorgizō”
which means “provocation, exasperation and anger”. The Ephesian
“fathers”
were not to antagonize their “children”
so as to make them “exasperated and angry”.
The
verse continues, “but bring them up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord.” Paul
added the word, “but”
which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be
written takes precedence over what was previously stated, “moreover,
nevertheless and nonetheless” “bring them up”
or “nourish up to maturity or nurture”
“in the nurture”
which means “the whole training and education of children which
relates to the cultivation of mind and morals, and employs for this
purpose commands, admonitions, reproof and punishment” “and
admonition” or “exhortation,
calling attention to and mild rebuke or warning” “of
the Lord” who is “the
anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God”. Instead of
“provoking” their
“children”, the Ephesian
church “fathers”
were to
“train
them” in the “ways, commands, admonitions, reproofs and
punishments” of the Lord Jesus.
When
we think through these words of Paul, “fathers” are never
to taunt their “children” so as to make them angry and
mad. Teasing them until they are “provoked” to anger is
opposite of the manner in which Jesus wants Christian “fathers”
to raise their “children”. “Fathers” have the
responsibility to demonstrate and exhibit godly behavior both to and
with their “children”, and to act any other way is to be
disobedient to God our Creator who demonstrated “nurturing” for
His beloved “children”. May the Lord Jesus through His
Holy Spirit help every “father” to be unto his “children”
as the Lord is to those who rely upon, cling to and trust in Him.
Next
time Paul gives instructions to “servants”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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